Rome courthouse
Expansion of the Piazzale Clodio Judicial Complex and the entrance to Monte Mario Park
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Rome courthouse
Expansion of the Piazzale Clodio Judicial Complex and the entrance to Monte Mario Park
The expansion of the Judicial City at Piazzale Clodio reframes public architecture as civic infrastructure — a project capable of strengthening the relationships between institutions, city and landscape. Rather than simply adding a new building, the scheme redefines the relationship between the judicial complex and Rome itself, transforming an unresolved urban edge into a new place of connection.
The intervention creates a new gateway to the Monte Mario Park, re-establishing continuity between public space and the natural system, and restoring strategic value to a long-neglected part of the city. Justice is not represented as an isolated institution, but as part of an open, accessible urban ecosystem — one that is deeply embedded in its context.
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Justice as urban presence
The project moves away from the traditional model of the introverted judicial complex, establishing a new relationship with public space. The façade facing Piazzale Clodio steps back to create an urban square that eases arrival and restores continuity to the city’s pedestrian network. Security is woven into the spatial organisation and circulation logic — present but never imposing.
Architecture and landscape as a single system
A new gateway to Monte Mario
The project is born from the meeting of two complementary conditions. The podium extends into the landscape, drawing the public spaces and courtrooms into continuity with the Monte Mario green system. Above, the office volumes define a measured, institutional presence.
This is not simply a matter of architecture and nature overlapping, but rather the creation of a single system in which public space, landscape, and the functions of the justice system all contribute to generating a new urban quality.
The project transforms the boundary between the city and the nature reserve into a continuous landscape infrastructure. The large central meadow, inspired by the historic “pratoni,” the tree-lined avenues, the rain gardens, and the permeable surfaces restore the ecological continuity of the hill and define a new entrance to Monte Mario Park.
The building becomes part of this sequence, reinforcing the relationship between the built city and its natural environment.
Governing complexity
The quality of a judicial complex is measured by its ability to manage complexity. The project organizes six independent flows—the public, judges, administrative staff, inmates, technical personnel, and connections to the existing complex—ensuring security, efficiency, and functional clarity.
Patios, courtyards, terraces, and green roofs transform workspaces and waiting areas into bright, open environments designed to promote people’s well-being.
Technology in service of quality
Environmental strategies are integrated into the architecture from the very first design decisions. The orientation-calibrated parametric double skin, green roofs, sustainable drainage systems, photovoltaic systems, and digital monitoring via BIM and the Building Management System all contribute to reducing the building’s environmental impact and improving its performance throughout its entire life cycle.
